TAXI.com

Hi guys,
I'd like to hear your opinions on this track that I plan to submit to a brief.

https://www.taxi.com/my/artist/songs/mV ... -at-a-loss

also here https://soundcloud.com/alon-marcus-9837 ... -at-a-loss

And here is the relevant part of the brief:

Lots of EPIC HIP-HOP/ORCHESTRAL INSTRUMENTAL CUES are needed by a Music Licensing Company with a super strong list of placements in Films, TV Commercials, and A-List TV Shows. This Company has signed lots of TAXI members over many years and nailed down tons of placements for them!

NOTE: We previously ran this request as TAXI Listing # D241124ER, but the Library wants to hear even MORE material. If you submitted to listing # D241124ER, please send different material this time around.

This Company is searching for Instrumental Cues in the general stylistic wheelhouse of the references below:

“Troubles” by prodbywander

"VOICES" by producerX

"BURN IT TO THE GROUND" by Shuka4Beats

Please submit Hip-Hop/Orchestral Instrumental Cues with a powerful, hard-hitting sound and lots of epic energy! Your submissions should have dramatic and captivating motifs, impactful Hip-Hop beats, and dynamic arrangements with lots of forward motion and interest throughout. Tracks seamlessly blend cinematic/orchestral elements (such as strings, horns, etc) with Hip-Hop beats will work best. Please ensure that any virtual instruments or samples you use are high quality and not dated-sounding. Aim for tracks that combine the dramatic weight of cinematic orchestral pieces and the unrelenting, powerful edge of modern Hip-Hop!

Submissions should be about 2 minutes long, give or take, and have non-faded, buttoned/stinger endings. Do NOT copy the references in any way, shape, or form. Use them only as a general guide for tempo, tone, and overall vibe. Do NOT submit any material with unauthorized samples of any other artists’ music, sounds, or any other form of media. Broadcast Quality is needed.

I have a couple thoughts for you:

1-The Taxi link doesn't work. Soundcloud did, so it's all good, but FYI the Taxi link isn't public.

2-Overall it's a cool track. I think the mix needs work. The drums, esp the hihat, are really present. I know trap hihats are busy and stuff, but that one is super busy and it's really loud and it's kinda all I can pay attention to. You start layering some nice stuff in as the track progresses and it gets lost imo. I'd recommend listening to the references with the drum mix specifically in mind. Also consider dropping the hihat out at some point, even for 4 or 8 bars, just to give the ear a break.

3-On the whole your sounds are cool, but some of the string pads, esp in the middle of the track, sound really synth-y to me. If that's the sound you're going for that's cool, but since this is specifically an orchestral hip hop brief I'd try to make all the classical elements as realistic as possible. Also in a vacuum I love that West Coast-style synth lead sound you bring in at the end, but in this context it's kind of fighting with the soprano so they get kinda jumbled up together. Maybe you could EQ it or bring it in at a different point so they each get their own space to breathe.

Good luck with it!

Hey man, I'm gonna give you some tough love on this one, but I'll be nice about it since you're new here, and I don't know how thick your skin is yet, lol.

There are a lot of issues with this one, and I'm not sure where to start, so I'll just hit 'em out in the order I heard 'em:

1) The opening 22 seconds is like "huh?". That dubstep sounding synth doesn't make any sense in the context of orchestral or trap music. Further, this opening 22 seconds would be an instant turn-off to a music editor / music library who would listen to your track for possible inclusion in their library or placement in a show. With cues, you really gotta get to the goods QUICKLY. 22 seconds is an eternity to wait for the actual track to kick in..... So, first and foremost, I would lop those 22 seconds off and start at :23.

2) The drums & low end just aren't "Trap". Sure, you've got some sprinkler style hi-hats, but trap is so much more than that. Also, not sure what you're using for bass, but a good 808 is the sound of trap music. You might already be using 808's, but they're mixed pretty low, and trap music is notoriously bass heavy.

3) A lot of elements get introduced in this cue, from an ambient female vocal to an old Dr. Dre sounding synth whine. Trim the fat here.... there's really no need for all these disjointed elements.

4) At the end, you've got a West Coast piano hitting staccato chords on the quarter notes. That's a sound from the 90's & 00's West Coast era of hip hop, not current trap music. That, combined with the Dre style leads, really leads to some era-confusion on this track.

5) Lastly, you'll want to include some edit points in here.

Okay, hopefully that didn't put you off or discourage you. But it's better to get some tough love now than spend $5 on a submission and only get a few sentences of feedback from the screener. Hopefully this all helps!

~~Matt

EDIT: hang on a sec... I'm editing my post.... I see the Taxi brief is asking for "Orchestral Hip Hop", and not "Orchestral Trap", so you MIGHT be able to disregard some of my trap-specific comments above.

Thank you, RealPickle! I’ll definitely take your tips and advice into consideration—they’re very helpful.

Dear Mr. VanderBoegh, I'm honored to receive your critique and will do my best to implement the important lessons you’ve shared. No need to justify your sharp yet valuable feedback—I truly appreciate it.

I'm not sure why the TAXI link isn’t playing my track. It works on my profile, but not from the direct link. I made it public, so it might be a cache or cookie issue. Any help would be appreciated!